replied, 'Well, I think any man who would do THAT ought to be
made to support the child.'"

No comment was offered. Our wrangler arose and strolled away from
the fire under the pretense of repicketing his horse. It was
nearly time for the guards to change, and giving the last watch
orders to point the herd, as they left the bed-ground in the
morning, back on an angle towards the trail, I prepared to turn
in. While I was pulling off my boots in the act of retiring, Clay
Zilligan rode in from the herd to call the relief. The second
guard were bridling their horses, and as Zilligan dismounted, he
said to the circle of listeners, "Didn't I tell you fellows that
there was another herd just ahead of us? I don't care if they
didn't pass up the trail since we've been laying over, they are
there just the same. Of course you can't see their camp-fire from
here, but it's in plain view from the bed-ground, and not over
four or five miles away. If I remember rightly, there's a local
trail comes in from the south of the Wichita River, and joins the
Chisholm just ahead. And what's more, that herd was there at nine
o'clock this morning, and they haven't moved a peg since. Well,
there's two lads out there waiting to be relieved, and you second
guard know where the cattle are bedded."



CHAPTER VI. CAMP SUPPLY

In gala spirits we broke camp the next morning. The herd had left
the bed-ground at dawn, and as the outfit rode away to relieve
the last guard, every mother's son was singing. The cattle were a